Inflow to Mettur dam increases to 1,00,400 cusecs; flood warning issued to 11 districts

Inflow to the Stanley Reservoir increased to 1,00,400 cusecs on Sunday evening. A flood warning was issued to 11 districts for the second consecutive day.

Following rain in the catchment areas, the Mettur dam reached its capacity of 120 feet on Friday for the fourth time this year. Due to heavy rain for the last two days, inflow to the dam started to increase, and on Saturday, it touched 45,000 cusecs. Following this, the Water Resources Department (WRD) issued a flood warning on Saturday evening.

On Sunday noon, inflow to the dam increased to 75,400 cusecs, and at 6 p.m., the inflow touched 1,00,400 cusecs.

The dam’s water level and storage level stood at 120 feet and 93.47 tmcft, respectively. The amount of water discharged from the dam was increased from 45,000 cusecs to 1,00,000 cusecs.

In its warning, the WRD said as the water level was at 120 feet, the inflow to the dam would be released as surplus in the Cauvery. People living along the banks of the river and in low-lying areas nearby should move to higher places and all precautionary measures should be taken for the safety of their lives and property, the WRD added in the release.

The Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority (TNSDMA) has also issued a flood warning. The TNSDMA has begun sending geo-targeted SMS alerts to mobile phones of people residing near vulnerable locations along the river.

Personnel on standby

Teams from the Tamil Nadu Disaster Response Force and the National Disaster Response Force, comprising 25 and 30 personnel respectively, have arrived in Tiruchi and are on standby for emergency response.

At Hogenakkal in Dharmapuri district, the flow in the Cauvery increased from 50,000 cusecs to over 88,000 cusecs. Bathing and coracle rides have been banned at Hogenakkal.

At Poolampatti in Salem district, boat services that connect Poolampatti and Nerinjipettai in Erode district were suspended on Sunday.